Times Squarehttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/times-square
en-usTue, 03 Mar 2015 18:06:23 -0500Tue, 03 Mar 2015 18:06:23 -0500The latest news on Times Square from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-in-times-square-were-all-wearing-diapers-2014-12NEW YEAR'S IN TIMES SQUARE: 'We're All Wearing Diapers' http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-in-times-square-were-all-wearing-diapers-2014-12
Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:29:00 -0500Sybile Penhirin
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/54a477fbeab8ea67288b4567-800-/pappas-diapers-1.jpg" border="0" alt="pappas diapers" width="800"></p><p>The Pappas family came from Boston prepared to watch the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/search?q=ball+drop">ball drop</a>.</p>
<p>They all wore ski clothes to fight the cold and, underneath, they were equipped so they wouldn’t have to leave their place.</p>
<p>“We have Red Bull, energy shots, lots of snacks, water, playing cards, we’re all wearing several layers and…we’re all wearing diapers,” said Chuck Pappas, a 56-year-old photographer who came to the Crossroads of the World with his wife, their two daughters and boyfriends at around 10:30 this morning.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20141230/midtown/times-square-new-years-eve-celebration-shuts-down-dozens-of-streets" target="_parent">Many streets are going to be closed for the occasion&nbsp;</a>and officials said that people leaving their spots would have to stand in line again to enter the viewing areas.</p>
<p>“It was on our bucket list. It’s like a challenge,” said Diane Pappas, 56.</p>
<p>Not far from the Pappas family, four college friends sitting on folding chairs said they drove from Atlanta, Georgia and Jackson, Mississippi mainly to see Taylor Swift&nbsp;<a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/new-years-eve/nye-schedule/index.aspx#.VKRYFSeZN4w" target="_blank">who is one of the artists set</a>&nbsp;to perform tonight before the ball drops.</p>
<p>“We’re very excited,” said Tara Tichelberger, 23.</p>
<p>“But it's colder than we expected,” said her friend Sarah Robertson. “We’re not used to the weather being this cold. It was 70 degrees last week in Jackson."</p>
<p>Like many partygoers gathered in the area, the four friends bought blankets from the M&amp;Ms store nearby.</p>
<p>Temperatures are expected to drop to 22 degrees tonight, according to the National Weather Service.</p>
<p>Two tourists from France, who were also waiting in line to get to the viewing sections, said they didn’t mind the cold, yet.<br><br>“For now we’re too excited,” said Andy Chirad, a 21-year-old medical student. “Being here is like a dream. We’ve seen (the ball drop) on TV but tonight we’re going to see it for real."<br><br>Many people drove or flew in from other states and other countries to be part of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/search?q=Times+Square+celebrations&amp;o=r" target="_parent">Times Square celebrations.</a></p>
<p>Natalia Jimenez flew from Costa Rica with her father to be there for her 18th birthday.</p>
<p>“It was always my dream to come see the ball drop…since I was a little girl. It’s so cool and it’s fun. I’m very happy,” she said.</p>
<p>But some revelers said they were only there to feel the atmosphere before heading to other festivities.<br><br>“It’s fun to see but I’m not going to stay. It’s way too crowded and I want to be somewhere where it’s warm,” said 38-year-old Helena Moreira from Ossining in Westchester County, who was buying 2015 sunglasses with her daughter before heading back home.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-in-times-square-were-all-wearing-diapers-2014-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-the-times-square-ball-drop-tradition-began-2014-12Here's How The Times Square Ball Drop Tradition Beganhttp://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-the-times-square-ball-drop-tradition-began-2014-12
Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:05:21 -0500Christina Sterbenz
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/54a46890ecad04724c8b4569-600-/2013-ball-drop-new-years-eve-1.jpg" border="0" alt="2013 ball drop New Years Eve" width="600"></p><p>Every year, thousands of people flock to Times Square to watch a giant, sparkly ball descend the flagpole at One Times Square seconds before the New Year arrives.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Due to the rarity of available bathrooms, some of them even wear <a href="http://www.everywhereist.com/wtf-weds-new-years-eve-times-square-and-adult-diapers/">diapers.</a>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The well-attended tradition started back in 1907, according to The New York Times. That year, an "electrically illuminated ball" dropped above the One Times Square, which The Times then owned, for the first time.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
<p>Fact: The New York Times invented the Times Square Ball Drop in 1907. <a href="http://t.co/nrppG3Rted">http://t.co/nrppG3Rted</a> <a href="http://t.co/RlOudNtLXP">pic.twitter.com/RlOudNtLXP</a></p>
— NYT Archives (@NYTArchives) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYTArchives/status/550338624483766272">December 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
<p>People started celebrating New Year's in Times Square as <a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/new-years-eve/about-the-new-years-eve-ball/history-of-the-new-years-eve-ball/index.aspx#.VKRjiWTF9M5">early as 1904</a>, but the ball didn't come into play until three years later, to mark the arrival of 1908.</p>
<p>The Times originally constructed the building for a fireworks display, but when the city outlawed them,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-ball-at-one-times-square-2014-12">chief electrician Walter Palmer</a> came up with the idea to drop a lighted ball from the top of the tower instead.</p>
<p>The ball has dropped from that tower, now owned by&nbsp;<span>Jamestown Properties, every year since (except for 1942 and 1943 due to a wartime "dimout"). </span></p>
<p><span>The aesthetic, however, has changed throughout the years. In 1920, a 400-pound wrought iron ball replaced the original. In 1955, an aluminum ball, weighing only 150 pounds, replaced the iron one. The 1980s appropriately added neon lights, rhinestones, strobes, etc. Then, in 2000,&nbsp;<span>Waterford Crystal and Philips Lighting completely redesigned the New Year's Eve Ball. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Finally, in 2007, Waterford Crystal and Phillips Lighting redesigned the ball again, making it the amazing version we'll see tonight —&nbsp;<span>2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles illuminated by 32,256 Philips Luxeon LED lights.</span></span></span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-the-times-square-ball-drop-tradition-began-2014-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-times-square-celebration-2014-128 Things You Never Knew About The World's Biggest New Year's Eve Celebrationhttp://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-times-square-celebration-2014-12
Tue, 30 Dec 2014 13:52:00 -0500Melissa Stanger
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/549db458eab8ead352b8d9bf-480-/new-years-eve-times-square-11.jpg" border="0" alt="New Year's Eve Times Square" width="480"></p><p>You can watch the ball drop on TV <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/2015">or online</a> from anywhere, but if you happen to be in New York on December 31, Times Square is a classic place to ring in the New Year.</p>
<p>The New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square is co-produced by the <a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/index.aspx">Times Square Alliance</a> and Countdown Entertainment and takes a year of planning to put on.</p>
<p>Here are some things we learned from the organizers about what goes into the event.</p>
<h3>Planning for New Year's Eve begins the day after last year's bash.</h3>
<p>When the streets are finally cleaned of noisemakers and confetti, planning for the next New Year's Eve celebration begins. This includes booking entertainment, making the ball bigger and brighter, working with sponsors, and all the other things viewers don't see going on behind the camera.</p>
<p><img class="float_left" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/549db604ecad04f74f8b456b-1200-924/new-years-eve-times-square-ball-drop-6.jpg" border="0" alt="New Year's Eve, Times Square, Ball Drop" width="480"></p>
<h3>The ball today weighs almost 17 times what the first ball weighed.</h3>
<p>Made of iron and wood, the first New Year's Eve ball to be dropped from the flagpole at One Times Square in 1907 weighed 700 pounds. The ball today weighs 11,875 pounds. The celebration begins when the ball is raised at 6 p.m.</p>
<h3>The televised event gets bigger and better every year.</h3>
<p>While a million people gather in Times Square to watch the live performances every year, another million and a half from over 200 countries tune in to watch the event <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/2015">online</a>&nbsp;from a live webcast, which you can also view on your smartphone through the&nbsp;<a href="http://timessquareball.net/app/" target="_blank">Times Square Ball App</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/mobile/visitor-tips/times-square-crossroads-app/index.aspx" target="_blank">Times Square Crossroads App</a>. O.A.R., Idina Menzel, American Authors, and the USO Show Troupe, among others, will perform.</p>
<h3>The celebration continues Dick Clark's tradition of "New Year's Rockin' Eve."</h3>
<p>The program still takes the name of its original host of 40 years, though today it's hosted by TV and radio personality Allison Hagendorf who, for her second year, will ring in the New Year with a few co-hosts.</p>
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/549db6896bb3f7db65071af5-1200-924/new-years-eve-in-times-square-confetti.jpg" border="0" alt="New Year's Eve in Times Square confetti" width="480"></p>
<h3>The confetti that rains down on Times Square has messages written on it.</h3>
<p>Pick up a piece of confetti from the street and you'll likely find a note on there written by someone wishing for good things for the next year, or letting go of something from the past one. The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment actually do a trial run of the confetti a couple of days before New Year's Eve.</p>
<h3>Revelers are ushered into "party pens" just before 6:00.</h3>
<p>Police officers start letting people, in groups, into sectioned-off areas known as "party pens" just before the New Year's Eve bash begins at 6 p.m. (though many people wait around hours before then to get a good view of the ball drop). But once you're in, coming and going is not permitted, lest you lose your spot.</p>
<h3>Each year someone new gets to drop the ball.</h3>
<p>Each year the mayor and a special guest pushes the Waterford crystal button that activates the descent of the ball down the Times Square flagpole. Last year it was Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor; this year representatives from the International Rescue Committee will do the honors.</p>
<p><img class="float_left" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/549db64769beddcf571a97b5-1200-924/new-years-eve-revelers-in-times-square.jpg" border="0" alt="New Year's Eve revelers in Times Square" width="480"></p>
<h3>The countdown to the New Year always ends with a kiss at midnight.</h3>
<p>Kissing at midnight is a New year's tradition, one which hundreds of thousands of revelers in Times Square uphold. The tradition is even turned into a contest, sponsored by Nivea, where a winning couple gets to kiss on stage.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/vegas-nye-parties-2014-12" >The 7 Hottest New Year's Eve Parties In Las Vegas</a></strong></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-times-square-celebration-2014-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-ball-at-one-times-square-2014-12The Story Behind The Strangely Empty Times Square Building Where The New Year's Eve Ball Drops Every Yearhttp://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-ball-at-one-times-square-2014-12
Mon, 29 Dec 2014 14:41:00 -0500Business Insider
<p>Last year, The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2013/12/video-inside-the-home-of-the-new-years-eve-ball.html?utm_source=tny&amp;utm_campaign=generalsocial&amp;utm_medium=twitter">New Yorker released a fantastic video</a>&nbsp;tour&nbsp;of the building that houses the New Year's Eve Ball in New York City.</p>
<p>While it's located in Times Square at the so-called "center of the universe," the billboard-covered building is mostly empty. According to The New Yorker, The New York Times constructed the building at One Times Square as its headquarters in 1904, and staged a massive New Year's Eve fireworks display to celebrate.<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54a1ad08ecad0449543afd0a-1200-1715/one_times_square_under_construction_1903.jpg" border="0" alt="One_Times_Square_under_construction_1903"></p>
<p>But when the city outlawed the fireworks, The Times' chief electrician Walter Palmer came up with the idea to drop a lighted ball from the top of the tower instead.</p>
<p>The New York Times owned the building for less than 10 years, and it fell into disrepair as Midtown grew seedy. According to a 1961 "Talk of the Town" piece, "There was a time when a speakeasy was going full blast in one of the basements (of One Times Square)...when the F.B.I.&nbsp;– this was during the Second World War&nbsp;– was holding pistol practice in a basement and using a 7th floor office to trap German spies."</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54a1ad4a6da811130751cb6c-649-800/crowd_gathers_for_updates_to_1919_world_series.jpg" border="0" alt="Crowd_gathers_for_updates_to_1919_World_Series.JPG"></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In 1995, Lehman Brothers bought the building, but instead of leasing office space, it turned the 25-story tower into a billboard and made a 300% profit in two years, according to The New Yorker.</span></p>
<p><span>Jamestown Properties has owned One Times Square since 1997. Filings from 2012 show that the billboards covering the building generate over $23 million annually, which represents 85% of the building's total revenue. The building itself has an estimated value between $378 million and $495 million.<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54a1ad976bb3f7da502f3541-640-971/times_square,_ny.jpeg.jpeg" border="0" alt="Times_Square,_NY.jpeg"></span></p>
<p>Walgreens leases the first three floors, with some storage space above that. The upper floors are used by the One Times Square Production Management Team for New Year's Eve. But in between, there's not much else.<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/54a1adec6da811fd0651cb6e-1200-800/1280px-times_square_ball_from_above.jpg" border="0" alt="1280px Times_Square_Ball_from_above"></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Check out The New Yorker's video below:</p>
<p><iframe width="680" height="400" frameborder="0" src="http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid2538399966001/?bctid=2951702511001&amp;autoStart=false"></iframe></p>
<p><em>Paige Cooperstein wrote the original version of this story.</em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/places-you-should-visit-in-2015-2014-12" >23 Places You Need To Visit In 2015</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-ball-at-one-times-square-2014-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/google-advertises-on-biggest-times-square-billboard-2014-11Here's The Google Ad Taking Over The New Mega Screen On Times Square (GOOG)http://www.businessinsider.com/google-advertises-on-biggest-times-square-billboard-2014-11
Mon, 24 Nov 2014 03:59:00 -0500Lara O'Reilly
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5472eda66da811ee1ff0d19b-1024-512/tsq.png" border="0" alt="Google Times Square Ad"></p><p></p>
<p>Here is the Google ad that is taking over the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/megascreen-google-times-square-2014-11">huge new billboard on New York City's Times Square</a>.</p>
<p>From Monday, Nov. 25, Google becomes the inaugural advertiser on the <span>screen, which runs nearly a length of a&nbsp;football field from 45th to 46th Street along Broadway, and is eight stories tall. The display is made up of 24 million pixels and it is the highest resolution LED screen of its size in the world.</span><span><br></span></p>
<p><span>Passers-by will be able to use Google's Androidify app on Android and iOS to create their own Android character to play with<span>&nbsp;on the big screen</span> using their smartphones from Monday afternoon through Tuesday.</span></p>
<p><span>Those that can't make it down to Times Square can still submit their character to appear on the big screen. If it appears on the billboard, Google will send you an email of the character up in lights.</span></p>
<p><span>Google is using the billboard to showcase its lead products, beginning with newly introduced Nexus handsets and tablets, through to Android Wear, Chrome and Maps.</span></p>
<p><span>The company also plans to "gift" media space and time to six non-profit organizations and one Google-related cause project: Made with Code (internal to Google); Charity Water; WWF; Khan Academy; NRDC; Donors Choose and Give Directly.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>The cost of advertising on the billboard space, which is situated above the Marriott Marquis Hotel and operated by Clear Channel, has not been disclosed.</span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/megascreen-google-times-square-2014-11#ixzz3JySGR6Xb" >VIDEO: Here's The New Football Field-Long Megascreen In Times Square That Google Will Take Over</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-advertises-on-biggest-times-square-billboard-2014-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/megascreen-google-times-square-2014-11Here's The New Football Field-Long Megascreen In Times Square That Google Will Take Overhttp://www.businessinsider.com/megascreen-google-times-square-2014-11
Thu, 20 Nov 2014 10:06:00 -0500Devan Joseph and Associated Press
<p>A brand new high-definition video display made its debut this week in front of the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square. &nbsp;</p>
<p>The screen runs nearly a length of a&nbsp;football field from 45th to 46th Street along Broadway, and is 8 stories tall. The display is made up of 24 million pixels and it is the highest resolution LED of its size in the world.</p>
<p>Google will be the debut advertiser, taking over the screen from November 24 until the end of the year in an undisclosed deal.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Produced by Devan Joseph. Video courtesy of AP.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><strong>Follow BI Video: </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BusinessInsider.Video">On Facebook</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/megascreen-google-times-square-2014-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/r-billboard-in-nys-times-square-is-worlds-largest-high-def-display-2014-11Google Will Be The First Advertising Client For The Giant New Billboard In Times Squarehttp://www.businessinsider.com/r-billboard-in-nys-times-square-is-worlds-largest-high-def-display-2014-11
Wed, 19 Nov 2014 18:36:00 -0500Sebastien Malo
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/546cf5dc5afbd319718b456b-450-300/billboard-in-nys-times-square-is-worlds-largest-high-def-display.jpg" border="0" alt="People stand on steps in front of a new digital advertising screen in Times Square, New York, November 18, 2014. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri "></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">NEW YORK (Reuters) - The&nbsp;biggest advertising billboard in Times Square history, longer that a football field and eight stories high, will light up for the first&nbsp;time&nbsp;on&nbsp;Tuesday.</span></p>
<p>The world's largest high-definition video display will turn on its nearly 24 million LED pixels at 7:30 p.m. EST and make its debut with an exhibition of digital art by Universal Everything Studio. Next week Google will become the billboard's first advertising client, said Clear Channel Outdoor, the firm selling the gargantuan ad space.</p>
<p>The billboard, hovering over the Marriott Marquis Hotel, was commissioned by the Vornado Realty Trust, which would not reveal its cost.</p>
<p>"When it comes to making an impact in Times Square size does matter," said David Grabert, a Clear Channel spokesman.</p>
<p>Google has signed a deal&nbsp;for an undisclosed amount&nbsp;for&nbsp;an ad&nbsp;campaign&nbsp;that runs&nbsp;through the new year, Clear Channel said. The rate for a four-week advertising blitz is $2.5 million, according to the New York Times.</p>
<p>The new billboard is located in the heart of Times Square and faces the intersection passed every day by an average of 300,000 pedestrians and 115,000 drivers and passengers, according to the Times Square Alliance.</p>
<p>Vornado said in 2012 it was building the sign as part of a $140 million project to expand and redevelop the Marriott Marquis' retail space.</p>
<p>Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins said the high-tech screen would enhance the appeal of New York's most renowned intersection as a tourist destination.</p>
<p>"This is the one place on the planet where people seek out, take pictures of and then transmit advertisement," Tompkins said. "The phenomenon that happens in Times Square is that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts."</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Bill Trott)</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-billboard-in-nys-times-square-is-worlds-largest-high-def-display-2014-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/clear-channel-times-square-largest-digital-billboard-ad-2014-11The World's Largest Ad Has Just Been Switched On In Times Squarehttp://www.businessinsider.com/clear-channel-times-square-largest-digital-billboard-ad-2014-11
Wed, 19 Nov 2014 03:59:00 -0500STEPHEN LEPITAK
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/546c5b8eeab8ea995940a969-514-385/clear-channel-2.png" border="0" alt="clear channel"></p><p>The launch of the world's largest digital outdoor advert has put the outdoor media industry 'on-par' with all other mediums according to Clear Channel president Harry Coghlan.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Speaking ahead of the go-live of the 24 million LED pixel screen positioned in the Marriott Hotel in Times Square, estimated to cost $2.5 million for a four week ad placement, Coghlan said that he thought the display would be a game changer for the industry,&nbsp;</p>
<p>"It means we are on par with all other media in terms of our immediacy, our impact and being in the real-time. The capabilities here have put us on par with the the broadcast outlets today," he claimed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"It's a destination by itself. Over time, as content is developed and brands start to engage and deliver their brand experiences, you will see people come here and say 'when you are in the middle of Times Square you've got to see this display.'"</p>
<p>Google is reportedly the first advertiser set to use the screen in the coming weeks but has yet to comment.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/clear-channel-times-square-largest-digital-billboard-ad-2014-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/art-everywhere-2014-8Get Ready To See Classic Art Everywhere Around Americahttp://www.businessinsider.com/art-everywhere-2014-8
Mon, 04 Aug 2014 13:29:00 -0400Rebecca Borison
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/53dfb14b69bedda82098b73d-4752-3168/img_1885.jpg" border="0" alt="Art Everywhere US" /></p><p></p>
<p>Starting Monday, passersby around the country will stumble across classic pieces of art on their daily commute.</p>
<p>A project called <a href="http://arteverywhereus.org/">Art Everywhere</a> is coming to the US after launching in the UK last year. The project is replacing standard outdoor advertisements with famous paintings through Aug. 31 to spark enthusiasm and conversation around the arts. The hope is also that the project will prompt more museum visits.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">There will be 58 pieces of American art displayed in all 50 states on about 50,000 different displays, including billboards, bus shelters, subway platforms, and airports.&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">With the help of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, the paintings are going beyond the museum's walls and will be available to the general public. You can locate the different displays on Art Everywhere's&nbsp;</span><a href="http://arteverywhereus.org/Map">interactive map</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">.</span></p>
<p>Leading up to the launch, thousands of people voted on their favorite American classics, and the winners &mdash; along with a couple add-ons from the creators of the project &mdash; make up the 58 paintings, which draw from five different museums across the country.</p>
<p>But instead of just plastering pictures around the country, Art Everywhere is integrating social media and technology to create more of a buzz.</p>
<p>P<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">assersby are encouraged to share their thoughts on social media and take selfies in front of the painting using the hashtag #ArtEverywhereUS, according to Maxwell Anderson, the Eugene McDermott Director of the Dallas Museum of Art and one of five museum directors participating in Art Everywhere.&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The top ten most creative photos will win a&nbsp;prints of one of the project's artworks.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/53dfb1466da8118b3daf27f5-4752-3168/img_1873.jpg" border="0" alt="Art Everywhere US" /></span></p>
<p>On top of that, 39 of the 58 paintings can be scanned with the app <a href="https://blippar.com/en/">Blippar</a> to add an augmented reality feature that makes the paintings look like they're floating. It also gives users more information about the artwork, and some works even offer audio guides. Users can also take a selfie through the Blippar app to enter the social media competition.</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/53dfb146ecad04274e98b73b-4752-3168/img_1860-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Art Everywhere US" style="line-height: 1.5em;" /></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The idea for Art Everywhere all came from Richard Reed when he happened to walk down a street in the UK and notice a random piece of art.</span></p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/53dfb140ecad041b5198b73d-4752-3168/img_1869-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Art Everywhere US" /></p>
<p>"It gave me a lift and brightened up that ugly street," Reed said at the Times Square press conference for Art Everywhere's US launch.</p>
<p>"There are frames on every building wall," he said. "They currently show advertising, but posters don't have to just convey consumer messaging. I thought maybe we can use it to show the country's art. It's an opportunity to flood our streets with art, create moments of beauty and reflection amongst our trips to the shops."</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/shapeshifting-table-transform-2014-7" >This Incredible Shapeshifting Table Responds To Your Movements In Dramatic Fashion</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tablet-screen-replaces-glasses-2014-7" >Scientists Are Working On A Vision-Correcting Tablet Screen That Would Replace The Need For Reading Glasses</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/art-everywhere-2014-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/r-ny-lawmakers-set-to-clamp-down-on-times-squares-caped-crusaders-2014-09Times Square Cartoon Characters Might Be Banned After Rash Of Violencehttp://www.businessinsider.com/r-ny-lawmakers-set-to-clamp-down-on-times-squares-caped-crusaders-2014-09
Wed, 09 Jul 2014 14:59:00 -0400
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/53bd906169bedd1909f61929-1200-800/rtr38lgu.jpg" border="0" alt="RTR38LGU" /></p><p>Cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse and Spider-man have been adored by generations of children, but their costumed counterparts who roam New York City's Times Square are more a public nuisance, New York City lawmakers said on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Indeed, tighter restrictions are likely ahead for the people who don the oversized costumes and pose for pictures with tourists for a fee, City Council members said at a meeting of the Times Square Alliance.</p>
<p>The unlicensed workers, who are under scrutiny in the wake of unsavory incidents with tourists, can be very aggressive, said Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.</p>
<p>"They accost people," she said. "They ask to take a picture. They ask for money. They chase people to the ATM sometimes for money."</p>
<p>Last month, a worker dressed as Spider-Man was fined $370 for punching a tourist who had pelted him with snow.</p>
<p>Last year, a costumed Cookie Monster was arrested for shoving a 2-year-old child whose mother failed to tip him, and in 2012, a man dressed as Elmo was arrested for an anti-Semitic tirade.</p>
<p>The council is likely to put forward legislation to regulate the characters but would protect their right to artistic expression, Brewer said.</p>
<p>City lawmakers have said that dressing up in a costume in Times Square could be protected under the constitutional right to freedom of speech.</p>
<p>Last year, legislation to regulate the characters, including licensing requirements, failed to pass the City Council.</p>
<p>Brewer said that companies such as the Walt Disney Co, which holds the trademark for Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and Japan's Sanrio Co which holds the trademark for Hello Kitty, could take legal action.</p>
<p>Lawmakers at the meeting said the number of characters has proliferated. On a recent Saturday, the Alliance surveyed the tourist-heavy Times Square and counted 76 costumed performers.</p>
<p>The most popular characters were Elmo - a character on the children's television show Sesame Street, and Mickey and Minnie Mouse, it said.</p>
<p>A recent poll found that about one in six New Yorkers had had an unpleasant experience with the characters, the Alliance said, while two in five businesses and individuals it includes as members had had bad run-ins with the characters.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Bernadette Baum)</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/s?q=times+square+characters#ixzz3700DEyKW" >Times Square To Regulate Costumed Superheroes After String Of Crimes</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-ny-lawmakers-set-to-clamp-down-on-times-squares-caped-crusaders-2014-09#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/times-square-regulates-costumed-superheroes-2014-6Times Square To Regulate Costumed Superheroes After String Of Crimeshttp://www.businessinsider.com/times-square-regulates-costumed-superheroes-2014-6
Fri, 27 Jun 2014 10:56:00 -0400Matt D. Wilson
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/53ad84a7eab8ea571e4f8cb7-480-/iron-man-times-square.png" border="0" alt="Iron Man times square" width="480" /></p><p>Spider-Man, no!</p>
<p>Following a few incidents of costumed characters in Times Square committing crimes &ndash;most recently, one where a Spider-Man allegedly groped a tourist, which came after&nbsp;another&nbsp;Spider-Man was convicted of harassment &mdash; the president of Times Square Alliance, Tim Tompkins, is putting his foot down.</p>
<p>He&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/06/21/head-of-times-square-alliance-says-costumed-characters-need-to-be-regulated/" target="_blank">calling for all the Times Square characters</a>&nbsp;&mdash; superheroes, Sesame Street characters, Disney princesses and all others &ndash;to be licensed and regulated.</p>
<p>Some commentators have joked that the proposal is akin to the Superhero Registration Act from Marvel&rsquo;s&nbsp;Civil War&nbsp;series, but, of course, the big difference here is that the costumed characters aren&rsquo;t vigilantes and do-gooders; they&rsquo;re actors who are for all intents and purposes, running a business. Licenses are required of most business owners, and indeed, of many street performers. This wouldn&rsquo;t be all that unusual.</p>
<p>That said, licensing and regulation has proven to be difficult in the other spot where many costumed characters congregate, along Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, specifically outside TCL Chinese Theater. Back in 2010, a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/18/hollywood-superhero-stree_n_785489.html" target="_blank">actually stopped police from giving people in costumes special attention</a>, citing their rights to free speech. That crackdown came after a similar call for licensing after reports of excessive panhandling and even fights.</p>
<p>So if there aren&rsquo;t going to be specific regulations, let&rsquo;s at least adopt some guidelines, huh? If you dress up in a Spider-Man costume, don&rsquo;t be a creep.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dc-copies-marvel-2014-6" >Here’s The Fundamental Problem With DC Comics</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/times-square-regulates-costumed-superheroes-2014-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/joana-toros-photos-of-times-squares-costumed-characters-2014-3I Spent More Than A Year Dressing As Hello Kitty In Times Square, And It Was Surrealhttp://www.businessinsider.com/joana-toros-photos-of-times-squares-costumed-characters-2014-3
Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:02:00 -0500Harrison Jacobs
<p class="p1"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/53189d7feab8eafe5552981b-1200-797/i am hellok92.jpg" border="0" alt="I am Hellok92" /></p><p>In 2012, after working as a photographer in Latin America for the better part of a decade, Joana Toro moved to New York to study English.</p>
<p>Toro soon found herself in need of extra money, which led her roommate Marcela to introduce her to the semi-legal world of Times Square street performers. She was captivated by the mostly immigrant performers, who make a living by dressing as iconic characters, posing for pictures with tourists, and asking for tips.</p>
<p>&ldquo;<a href="http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/i-am-hello-kitty/">It was shocking at first to see Mickey Mouse did not speak English</a> and was an immigrant from Mexico,&rdquo; Toro told The New York Times. &ldquo; ... It was surreal. A paradox.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Soon after her introduction, Toro took up her own costume.&nbsp;For a year and a half, she donned the cumbersome costume of Hello Kitty and saw firsthand a world that most people can't imagine.</p>
<p class="p1">Toro shared some photos from her experience, and <a href="http://www.joanatoro.com/">you can see the rest at her website</a>.&nbsp;</p><h3>Toro was first introduced to the world of costumed performers by her roommate Marcela, who dances salsa with a Barack Obama mannequin.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5315e0fa69bedd9e62222344-400-300/toro-was-first-introduced-to-the-world-of-costumed-performers-by-her-roommate-marcela-who-dances-salsa-with-a-barack-obama-mannequin.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>When Toro decided to become a costumed character, she first tried wearing a Minnie Mouse costume. She ended up also trying Mickey Mouse and Dora the Explorer, before settling on Hello Kitty.</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5315e0fd69beddf660222351-400-300/when-toro-decided-to-become-a-costumed-character-she-first-tried-wearing-a-minnie-mouse-costume-she-ended-up-also-trying-mickey-mouse-and-dora-the-explorer-before-settling-on-hello-kitty.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>She rented the costume from Berta, a Mexican immigrant. She warned Toro that the gig was hard work and not very lucrative. </h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5315e0fc6bb3f70c3de2ea70-400-300/she-rented-the-costume-from-berta-a-mexican-immigrant-she-warned-toro-that-the-gig-was-hard-work-and-not-very-lucrative.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/joana-toros-photos-of-times-squares-costumed-characters-2014-3#despite-the-warnings-toro-decided-to-give-it-a-try-she-told-business-insider-that-it-felt-like-being-in-an-astronaut-uniform-on-a-strange-planet-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/times-square-1990s-photos-2014-1These Photos Show The Last Days Of Old, Sleazy Times Squarehttp://www.businessinsider.com/times-square-1990s-photos-2014-1
Mon, 06 Jan 2014 12:52:00 -0500Madeline Stone
<p>New York's 42nd Street has transformed in recent decades from a den of drugs and sex shops to a flashy tourist hub filled with chain stores. People have mixed opinions about whether this was good.</p>
<p><a href="http://galessandrini.blogspot.fr/2012/08/42nd-street-in-mid-nineties-in-progress.html">French photographer&nbsp;Gregoire Alessandrini</a>&nbsp;shared some photos of the area during the most dramatic transformation, in the 1990s.</p>
<p>"Some of the photos featured here were taken a few months before all the theaters went down ... The strip shows and peep shows, the porn theaters (Show World, Peep Land, The Playpen, etc.) before they were gone and as destruction had just started, as well as the first signs of the total transformation of this great New York area," he writes.</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/52c19dd6ecad0492621cf3f7-800-770/42ndst272blog.jpg" border="0" alt="42ndst272BLOG" />Just down the street from Port Authority on 8th Avenue, the Show World Center was a complete sex facility, with strippers, peep shows, video booths, and a large selection of adult movies, magazines, and novelties.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/new-york-sex-clubs-article-1.1310583">The center stopped</a>&nbsp;showing live girls 1998, closed in 2004, and today is a haunted house known as&nbsp;<a href="http://timesscarenyc.com/">Times Scare</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52c198ebeab8ea98576167bb-800-509/42ndstthe playpen 2 1996blog.jpg" border="0" alt="42ndstThe Playpen 2 1996BLOG" /><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/new-york-sex-clubs-article-1.1310583">According to the New York Daily News</a>, Peep-O-Rama was the last pornography emporium to survive on 42nd Street, closing in 2002. Today the site houses the Bank of America Tower, the $1 billion skyscraper that is the third-tallest in New York City. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;<strong><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52c1b2a4ecad04500d1cf3e4-800-531/ny42street024blog.jpg" border="0" alt="NY42STREET024blog" /></strong></p>
<p>Previously known as the Adonis (which was closed by city health inspectors in 1994 for "high-risk sexual activities"),&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/new-york-sex-clubs-article-1.1310583">the sex shop called the Playpen stood</a>&nbsp;where the 8th Avenue Shake Shack stands today. &nbsp;<strong><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52c1997c6bb3f7ea3b6167bd-800-506/42ndstplaypen 1997blog.jpg" border="0" alt="the playpen 42nd street" /></strong>Starting in the 1970s, many classic theaters had turned into seedy cinemas specializing in adult and second-run films, and many were either demolished or relocated during Giuliani's revitalization project. In 1998, the Empire&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/28/nyregion/theater-s-roll-gliding-down-42d-street-fast-moving-times-square-revitalization.html?src=pm">was moved further down 42nd Street</a>&nbsp;to serve as a ticket lobby for a new 25-screen cinema.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/52c1b788ecad049d161cf3ea-800-545/new%20york.%2042nd%20street%20-%20empire%20theater.1993_blog++.jpg" border="0" alt="New York. 42nd street Empire Theater.1993_BLOG++" width="800" /></strong></p>
<p>The historic Selwyn Theatre became the American Airlines Theatre after an extensive renovation project was led by the aerospace giant.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><strong></strong><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52c1b9e4ecad04261d1cf3e4-800-560/new%20york.%2042nd%20street%20-%20selwyn%20theater.1993%20.jpg" border="0" alt="New York. 42nd street Selwyn Theater.1993 " width="800" /></strong></p>
<p>With a total seating capacity of 1,702, the New Amsterdam was the largest theatre in the city when it was built in 1903. After falling into disrepair in the late 1930s, it was converted into a movie theatre before being purchased by Disney in 1993. The newly renovated&nbsp;<a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-12-28-1612178948_x.htm">theater brought in other desirable media companies</a>&nbsp;like MTV and ESPN.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52c19746ecad04e6581cf3e4-800-1143/new york. 42nd street - amsterdam theater.1993 .jpg" border="0" alt="New York. 42nd street Amsterdam Theater.1993 " /></strong><a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-12-28-1612178948_x.htm">According to USA Today</a>, "Times Square has always lived a double life &mdash; even a century ago the 10-block stretch of busy Midtown streets was home to upscale splendor as well as hidden brothels and fetid hotels. With the invention of neon and the rise of Broadway shows, the area slowly became the entertainment center of the city."</p>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52c19cf66bb3f718406167bf-800-1246/nyorkers410tstouristique.jpg" border="0" alt="NYorkers410TSTouristique" />Giuliani and his team of developers brought in upscale hotels, theme stores, and restaurants to create the neon Times Square we know today.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52c19a486da811137f1cf404-800-517/blogimg078.jpg" border="0" alt="Blogimg078" /></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/meatpacking-district-in-1990s-photos-2013-12" >Incredible Photos From When New York's Hip Meatpacking District Was A Creepy Industrial Wasteland </a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/times-square-1990s-photos-2014-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-in-times-square-2013-12Everything You Need To Know About The Million-Person Party In Times Square Tonighthttp://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-in-times-square-2013-12
Tue, 31 Dec 2013 12:01:00 -0500Melissa Stanger
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/52c2e082ecad04da49613adb-480-/new-years-eve-times-square.jpg" border="0" alt="New Years Eve Times Square" width="480" />New Year's Eve is the time for champagne toasts, resolutions, and celebrations with family and friends.</span></p>
<p>And one of the most legendary places to usher in the New Year is in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-ball-at-one-times-square-2013-12">New York City's Times Square</a>.</p>
<p>The six-hour-long bash &mdash; which has live music performances, celebrity guests, and free schwag &mdash; culminates with the famous ball drop at midnight.</p>
<p>And while the event happens overnight, the planning certainly doesn't.</p>
<p>The New Year&rsquo;s Eve celebration in Times Square is co-produced annually between the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, the firm that represents One Times Square. We spoke to Jeff Straus, President of Countdown Entertainment, and Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance, to find out exactly how much planning goes into this spectacular annual event. We learned some surprising facts on the side.</p><h3>The first New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square New Year's Eve took place in 1904.</h3>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/50d89da6ecad045861000004-400-300/the-first-new-years-eve-celebration-in-times-square-new-years-eve-took-place-in-1904.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/new-years-eve/about-the-new-years-eve-ball/history-of-the-new-years-eve-ball/index.aspx">In 1904, the city decided</a> to throw a New Year's Eve party at One Times Square to commemorate the opening of both the New York Times office building and the city&rsquo;s first subway line.</p>
<p>Prior to 1904, the New Year's Eve celebration was held at Trinity Church, where revelers would throw bricks in the air to celebrate the New Year.</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>The first ball dropped on New Year's Eve in Times Square in 1907. </h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52c2e1b069bedd1472880ea8-400-300/the-first-ball-dropped-on-new-years-eve-in-times-square-in-1907.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p>In 1907, the first New Year's Eve ball was dropped from the flagpole at One Times Square.</p>
<p>The iron-and-wood ball <a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/new-years-eve/about-the-new-years-eve-ball/history-of-the-new-years-eve-ball/index.aspx">was five feet in diameter</a>, weighed 700 pounds, and was adorned with one hundred 25-watt bulbs &mdash; measly compared with today's ball.</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>The ball today is very different than the one used in 1907. </h3>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/52c2e21feab8ea270c03686b-400-300/the-ball-today-is-very-different-than-the-one-used-in-1907.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/new-years-eve/about-the-new-years-eve-ball/history-of-the-new-years-eve-ball/index.aspx">Today</a>, the ball measures 12 feet in diameter and weighs 11,875 pounds. It's covered with 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles of different sizes and lit with 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LED light bulbs.</p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-in-times-square-2013-12#the-times-square-alliance-plans-for-the-6-hour-event-all-year-long-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-ball-at-one-times-square-2013-12The Story Behind The Strangely Empty Times Square Building Where The New Year's Eve Ball Drops Every Yearhttp://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-ball-at-one-times-square-2013-12
Mon, 30 Dec 2013 13:39:30 -0500Paige Cooperstein
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/52c19a9a6bb3f7ee3b6167c2-1200-600/ball-drop-building-5.jpg" border="0" alt="Ball Drop Building 5" /></p><p>The <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2013/12/video-inside-the-home-of-the-new-years-eve-ball.html?utm_source=tny&amp;utm_campaign=generalsocial&amp;utm_medium=twitter">New Yorker just released a fantastic video</a>&nbsp;tour&nbsp;of the building that houses the New Year's Eve Ball in New York City.</p>
<p>While it's located at the so-called "center of the universe," the billboard-covered building is mostly empty. According to The New Yorker, The New York Times constructed the building at One Times Square as its headquarters in 1904, and staged a massive New Year's Eve firework display to celebrate.</p>
<p>But when the city outlawed the fireworks, The Times' chief electrician Walter Palmer came up with the idea to drop a lighted ball from the top of the tower instead.<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/52c19b2269beddfb136167bb-1200-600/ball-drop-building-4-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Ball Drop Building 4" /></p>
<p>The New York Times owned the building for less than 10 years, and it fell into disrepair as Midtown grew seedy. According to a 1961 "Talk of the Town" piece, "There was a time when a speakeasy was going full blast in one of the basements (of One Times Square)...when the F.B.I.&nbsp;&ndash; this was during the Second World War&nbsp;&ndash; was holding pistol practice in a basement and using a 7th floor office to trap German spies."</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/52c19cb369bedde7136167c3-1200-600/ball-drop-building-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Ball Drop Building 2" /></p>
<p>In 1995, Lehman Brothers bought the building, but instead of leasing office space, it turned the 25-story tower into a billboard and made a 300% profit in two years, according to The New Yorker.</p>
<p><span>Jamestown Properties has owned One Times Square since 1997. Filings from 2012 show that the billboards covering the building generate over $23 million annually, which represents 85% of the building's total revenue. The building itself has an estimated value between $378 million and $495 million.</span><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52c19d916bb3f734426167bf-1200-600/ball-drop-building-3.jpg" border="0" alt="Ball Drop Building 3" /></p>
<p>Walgreens leases the first three floors, with some storage space above that. The upper floors are used by the One Times Square Production Management Team for New Year's Eve. But in between, there's not much else.</p>
<p>Check out The New Yorker's video below:</p>
<p><iframe width="680" height="400" frameborder="0" src="http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid2538399966001/?bctid=2951702511001&amp;autoStart=false"></iframe></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/where-to-travel-in-2014-2013-10" >14 Places You Need To Visit In 2014</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-eve-ball-at-one-times-square-2013-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/livestream-new-years-eve-app-2013-12If You Need The Times Square New Year's Eve Ball-Drop On Your Phone, Here's How To Do Ithttp://www.businessinsider.com/livestream-new-years-eve-app-2013-12
Fri, 27 Dec 2013 09:40:00 -0500Caroline Moss
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/52bd8bb16bb3f7e574ce32ee-480-/new-years-eve.png" border="0" alt="New Year's Eve" width="480" /></p><p>Spending New Year's Eve watching the ball drop in iconic Times Square may be on some people's bucket lists, but it's definitely not for everyone.</p>
<p>If you're into cold, crowds, and lots of waiting, then yes, sure, head down to midtown Manhattan!&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">If not, there's a warmer, quieter way to experience all of the fun that comes with the beginning of a New Year.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">This year, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/times-square-official-new/id408688944?mt=8">Livestream is offering the&nbsp;official 2014 Times Square Ball App</a>. Users will enjoy the mobility of watching the Times Square New Year&rsquo;s Eve celebration at home, work or anywhere in the world from their mobile phones or tablets while interacting with the Times Square Ball.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>The ball will share its unique perspective of the performers, revelers and other festivities happening in Times Square via Twitter.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>The best part? It's free, and great if you don't have access to a television as the clock strikes midnight.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>This is the 5th year Livestream has brought the Times Square New Year's Eve experience to audiences worldwide. Now the app will create a truly interactive experience.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">You can download the app for<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/times-square-official-new/id408688944?mt=8"> your Apple device</a> or <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.timessquareball.app">your Android device</a>. It has already seen 500,000 downloads from over 160 countries.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">This is some footage from Livestream's coverage last New Year's Eve:</span></p>
<p><iframe width="800" height="600" frameborder="0" src="http://new.livestream.com/accounts/43923/events/1780083/videos/11712306/player?autoPlay=false&amp;height=360&amp;mute=false&amp;width=640"></iframe></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/livestream-new-years-eve-app-2013-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/3-injured-after-scaffolding-collapses-in-times-square-2013-113 Reportedly Injured After Scaffolding Collapses Near Times Squarehttp://www.businessinsider.com/3-injured-after-scaffolding-collapses-in-times-square-2013-11
Fri, 01 Nov 2013 10:50:00 -0400Pamela Engel
<p>At least three people have been injured after scaffolding collapsed in high winds in midtown Manhattan, the New York Daily News <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/storm-collapses-scaffolding-3-injured-reports-article-1.1503759?utm_content=buffereabaa&amp;utm_source=buffer&amp;utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=Buffer">reports</a>.</p>
<p>The scaffolding was at West 40th Street and 7th Avenue near Times Square. The injured people were being treated at the scene.</p>
<p>Winds of up to 40 mph have been whipping through New York City on Friday morning.</p>
<p>These photos have been tweeted from the scene:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>It appears a wall or scaffolding collapsed at 40th and 7th in Times Square. On a sidewalk I use every day. <a href="http://t.co/RyZt4VSaFv">pic.twitter.com/RyZt4VSaFv</a></p>
&mdash; Daniel Victor (@bydanielvictor) <a href="https://twitter.com/bydanielvictor/statuses/396282337358778368">November 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Intense wind &amp; rain just swept through NYC, upending a construction wall at 40th &amp; Broadway. At least one injured. <a href="http://t.co/rmgA1WtXsS">pic.twitter.com/rmgA1WtXsS</a></p>
&mdash; Matthew Orr (@Matthew_Orr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Matthew_Orr/statuses/396283561688309761">November 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Sun, 15 Sep 2013 19:58:15 -0400Jonathan Allen and Chris Francescani
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/511bfde869bedd176c000000-480-/new-york-city-times-square-limo-2.jpg" border="0" alt="new york city times square limo" width="480" /></p><p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Police on Sunday said a man who caused two police officers to open fire as he ran through traffic in New York's crowded&nbsp;Times Square&nbsp;on Saturday night would be booked on several charges, including resisting arrest and rioting.</p>
<p>The two officers, who have four years experience between them, fired a total of three shots after the man mimicked pulling out a weapon, but missed the suspect and wounded two women instead, city officials confirmed on Sunday.</p>
<p>A 54-year-old woman was struck in the right knee, and another bullet grazed the buttocks of a 35-year-old woman. Both were taken to a hospital in stable condition.</p>
<p>The man, whom the police identified as&nbsp;Glen Broadnax, 35, was apparently trying to get himself hit by vehicles as he erratically ran among traffic at the corner of 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, according to police. The area, filled with restaurants and attractions popular with tourists, teems with visitors on weekend nights.</p>
<p>Broadnax dodged officers trying to arrest him, and put a hand in his pocket before simulating pulling out a weapon and shooting at officers, although he was unarmed, police said.</p>
<p>An officer managed to shock Broadnax with a Taser gun before he was taken into custody, police said.</p>
<p>Broadnax was treated and released from&nbsp;Bellevue Hospital&nbsp;Sunday and was being booked on suspicion of menacing, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, obstruction, rioting and cocaine possession, NYPD Officer&nbsp;James Duffy&nbsp;said.</p>
<p>Broadnax has been jailed at least 13 times on 23 arrests since 1995, charged with crimes ranging from felony assault and robbery to marijuana possession and turnstile jumping, Duffy said.</p>
<p>The police department is conducting a full investigation, standard for all police-involved shootings, the NYPD's chief spokesman,&nbsp;John McCarthy, said</p>
<p>Last summer, police officers wounded nine bystanders near the&nbsp;Empire State Building&nbsp;as they pursued a man who had just shot and killed a former colleague, and then turned the gun on the officers.</p>
<p>(Reporting By Jonathan Allen and Chris Francescani; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Leslie Adler)</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/police-charge-suspect-after-chase-that-led-to-shooting-in-times-square-2013-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/nypd-is-simulating-a-subway-terror-attack-2013-7The NYPD Will Simulate A Subway Terror Attack With Gas Todayhttp://www.businessinsider.com/nypd-is-simulating-a-subway-terror-attack-2013-7
Tue, 09 Jul 2013 09:20:00 -0400Aidan Gardiner
<p class="story_text"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/51dc0b436bb3f7ff58000014-480-/times-square-subway.jpg" border="0" alt="Times Square Subway" width="480" /></p><p></p>
<p class="story_text">The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/home/home.shtml" target="_blank">NYPD</a>&nbsp;plans to release harmless gasses into the subway during Tuesday's morning rush-hour commute in the first day of its study into the potential impacts of airborne contaminants.</p>
<p class="story_text">During the study,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bnl.gov/s-safe/" target="_blank">meant to resemble a terrorist attack or hazardous material accident</a>, officials will release the gas at street-level in Manhattan while police &mdash; accompanied by researchers from the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bnl.gov/world/" target="_blank">Brookhaven National Laboratory</a>&nbsp;&mdash; examine its trajectory through the five boroughs, according to the NYPD.</p>
<p class="story_text">Researchers and their equipment will be deployed throughout the city to monitor the progress of the low-levels of the gases, known as perfluorocarbons, which are odorless and invisible, according to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11532" target="_blank">Brookhaven National Laboratory</a>.</p>
<p class="story_text">Tuesday's testing was slated to conclude at 3:30 p.m. The study is scheduled to continue for two additional days pending weather conditions, police said.</p>
<p class="story_text">A similar air flow test was conducted in Manhattan in 2005, but the current study is the first to examine all five boroughs.</p>
<p class="story_text">"This field study with Brookhaven's outstanding expertise will help prepare and safeguard the city's population in the event of an actual attack,"&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/people/raymond-kelly" target="_blank">Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly</a>&nbsp;said in a statement.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nypd-is-simulating-a-subway-terror-attack-2013-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/man-stabbed-in-times-square-2013-6Man Stabbed In Chest Outside Times Square Disney Storehttp://www.businessinsider.com/man-stabbed-in-times-square-2013-6
Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:19:41 -0400Adam Taylor
<p>A man was stabbed in the chest after a <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130618/times-square-theater-district/man-stabbed-times-square-broad-daylight-police-say">fight outside the Disney Store in Times Square this afternoon</a>, DNA Info reports, in a surprise moment of violence in one of New York's busiest tourist districts.</p>
<p>The New York Post <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130618/times-square-theater-district/man-stabbed-times-square-broad-daylight-police-say">reports that the two men involved</a> were crossing 45th street when they began loudly arguing. The victim hit the other man with a folding chair before he was stabbed in the chest.</p>
<p>A bystander reportedly broke up the fight and stemmed the flow of blood with an "I heart NY" t-shirt.</p>
<p>The 43-year-old victim was taken to hospital and <a href="http://www.myfoxny.com/story/22623827/times-square-stabbing">is expected to survive</a>, while the attacker fled the scene. It is believed the pair knew each other.</p>
<p>This picture shows the police activity after the crime:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>There has been a stabbing in Times Square a block over from our HQ ... <a href="http://t.co/81ztZCrHzs">pic.twitter.com/81ztZCrHzs</a></p>
&mdash; Dan Orlando (@DanOrlandoNYBJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanOrlandoNYBJ/statuses/347063761577836544">June 18, 2013</a></blockquote>
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